Northtowns Get Fresh Coating of Snow

NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. - From the moment of dawn Saturday, the Northtowns were in for a long day of cleaning up.

Finding someone who was putting all their might into shoveling was common. The plows were ripping and roaring through the snow all over the place.

Some utility crews were pumping out excess water that had saturated pipes and holes.

And of course, snowfall meant kids sledding, skiing and snowboarding.

"So far this year has been great," said one man, with knowledge that last year's snow total was dismal.

But, not all were smiling. Some short-staffed plow crews have been constantly on the go this week.

"It's tiring and exhausting, [I'm lacking] sleep," said one driver in Grand Island.

As bands of snow crept through Buffalo and the Northtowns, the snow put a thick layer on just about everything.

"We're just in a unique spot, and it's all hit or miss, it's our turn," said Joe Donlon, the deputy highway superintendent in the Town of Grand Island, which has about 130 miles of road to clear.

Earlier in the day, crews were battling the frigid cold.

"The big thing right now is wind and temperature, with the temperature being down in the mid-teens everything can turn into ice real quick and salt is not as effective in the mid-teens," said Donlon.

To move out the snow, at times wave after wave after wave of plows were digging us out. While others had no problems doing it themselves and getting help from their children.

There were some problems in parts of Niagara County, like Wheatfield and Lockport, where according to 911 dispatchers, vehicles have crashed into some ditches and the weather has caused some property damage.